Bc-Dc-Frc-Pro-Life-Amend Photo 11-07

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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO HEALTH, NATIONAL AND POLITICAL EDITORS:

Family Research Council Praises Passage of Pro-life Amendment to Health Care

Bill

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the House of

Representatives passed the Stupak, Pitts, Kaptur, Dahlkemper, Smith, Ellsworth

and Lipinski amendment to the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" (H.R.

3962). The amendment maintains the current policy of preventing federal

funding for abortion and for benefits packages that include abortion. It

clarifies that individuals, both those who receive affordability credits and

those who do not, can with their own funds purchase separate supplemental

coverage for elective abortions. It also clarifies that private plans that do

not receive government subsidies may still offer elective abortions.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO )

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following

statement concerning the amendment's passage:

"This is a huge pro-life victory for women, their unborn children, and

families. We applaud this House vote which prohibits the abortion industry

from further profiting from taxpayers by using government funds to pay for the

gruesome act of abortion. I congratulate the bipartisan coalition that for

months has worked to ensure that abortion is not covered in the bill.

"Since prior to last year's election Family Research Council has been

working towards true health care reform that protects life, freedom and

families. We supported efforts to ensure the legislation will not be paid for

by the lives of future generations. We thank Representatives Bart Stupak

(D-MI), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Kathy

Dahlkemper (D-PA), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and Chris Smith (R-NJ) for standing

with more than 70% of Americans who morally object to funding abortion with

their hard earned dollars.

"Unfortunately, H.R. 3962 is a seriously flawed piece of legislation. The

Speaker's bill still allows rationing of health care for seniors, raises

health costs for families, mandates that families purchase under threat of

fines and penalties, encourages counseling for assisted suicide in some

states, does not offer broad conscience protections for health care workers

and seeks to insert the federal government into all aspects of citizen's

lives. Speaker Pelosi is using the guise of health care reform to push her

version of social engineering onto American taxpayers. Additionally, the

legislation would place a crushing debt on both current and future

generations.

"FRC will work hard to ensure pro-life provisions remain intact as the

bill goes through the legislative process, and will work tirelessly to ensure

the legislation is more friendly to families than the current bill."

SOURCE Family Research Council

-0- 11/07/2009

/CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Maria Donovan of Family Research Council,

+1-202-468-5265/

/Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO

http://photoarchive.ap.org

PRN Photo Desk, /

/Web Site: http://www.frc.org /

CO: Family Research Council

ST: District of Columbia

IN: HEA HIN

SU: POL LEG

PR

-- DC07374 --

1824 11/07/2009 23:47 EST http://www.prnewswire.com